The aim of the Aveiro district council is to create conditions to extend the stay of visitors in the territory classified as a Geopark by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), given that, last year, park users stayed in the area for 2,870 nights, which represents an average stay of two days per person.

This intervention corresponds to the second phase of works within the scope of a strategy initiated in 2023 and which, at the time, began by rehabilitating the campsite's changing rooms and creating a support structure for motorhome tourism, at a cost of around €300,000.

According to the city hall, the second phase will now consist of the renovation and expansion of the park's main building, the construction of another “small building for reception”, the creation of a small square around these properties and the fencing of the entire space – whose area is 10,137 square metres.

“The Merujal campsite is the only infrastructure of its kind that we have in the region and the fact that it is located in the heart of the Serra da Freita makes it very important for our strategy and tourism offering. This location, on the other hand, exposes the almost three-decade-old infrastructure to bad weather and wear and tear that we must always be aware of,” a source from Arouca City Council told Lusa.

The works plan for the park also includes a third intervention, which, although the value of which has not yet been defined, will focus on the “installation of new bungalows”, so that, in total across the three phases of the project, the local authority guarantees that “a deep and significant investment” is involved.

If the bureaucratic procedures relating to the public tender and the awarding of the work proceed normally, the Council expects to begin the current intervention “between the end of June and the beginning of July”, after which the works will have an execution period of 12 months – during which the campsite will be closed.